Autographic register



April 24, 1934. w. J. wlswALl. 1,955,782

AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Original Filed March 17, 1924 3 Sheets-sheet lINVENTOR BY W ATTORNEY W 249 E93@ w. J. wlswALL 1,955,782

AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Original Filed March `1'?, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2April 24, 1934. w, 1 WlswALL 1,955,782

AUTOGRAPHI C REGI STER Original Filed March 17, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheecl 3 WATTORNEY Patented Apr. 24, 1934 Litiges erstes American Sales BookCompany,

Limited,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a corporation oi Ontario Application March 17,

1924, Serial No. 699,863

Renewed November 24, 1931 11 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in autographic registers andWith respect to its more specic features to registers utilizingreversely folded books or pads.

An object of this invention is to improve a machine of the characterdescribed both structurally and functionally to secure greater facilityand eiciency of operation and greater simplicity of construction.

A further object is to facilitate the movement of continuous paperstrips in a machine of the character described over the transfer sheetsand to insure that the strips shall be in smooth position ready forwriting.

A further object is to provide a machine of the character described inwhich the continuous strips are folded back upon one another in zigzagformation with an improved feeding mechanism which will secure thesmooth and accurate feeding oi 2@ the strips through the machine andmaintain them flat upon a tablet for Writing. Y

A further object is to provide a machine of the character described inwhich one of the strips is diverted into a lock compartment with animproved feeding and retaining mechanism adapted to convert one of thefeeding strips Vinto the lock and prevent its withdrawal. f

Other objects will be in partV obvious. and will in part appearhereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combinations'of elements,

and arrangement or" parts, which will be exempli` fied in theconstruction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application ofwhich will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the inventionreference should be had to the following detailed description taken incon-'- nection with the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View oi the improved machine,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section,

Fig. 3 is a detail of the friction reducing 'de vice and guidemechanism,

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view of the retaining device,

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View of the cover,

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section,

Fig. 'l is a partial top plan view with the cover removed,

Fig. 8 is a detail in section of the retaining device,

Fig. 9 is a view of a form strip. Y

In the present embodiment of the invention a case 1 is provided ofsuitable capacity, and oi any desired material, and the said case isprovided at one end with a door 2 hinged at 3 to the bottom of the case.The case comprises three compartments, namely, a compartment 4 for thepad 5 of unused forms, a compartment 6 for the feeding mechanism, and acompartment 7 for the permanent record strip. The feeding or strip Yadvancing mechanism includes a shaft 8, journaled in the side walls ofthe case, and provided with a crank 9 outside the case, for conveniencein turning the same. A pair of feed discs 10 is secured to the shaft, inspaced relation. Each disc has a peripheral rib 11 which is knurled toprovide a gripping surface for' engaging the strips of 7' paper to bedescribed, and the knurled surfaces cooperate with a feed roller 12,which is journaled in bearings 13 slidable in recesses 14, in a lockingbar, or housing 15, which is hinged to the ease at one'side, asindicated at i6. The bearings are supported by springs 17, which actnormally to iorce the bearings downward, and to force the roller towardthe eed discs, the bearings being restrained in their downward movement.The roller has annular knurled surfaces 13, which register with the ribsof the discs, when the roller is in feeding position, to firmly grip thesuperposedstrips oi paper, between the roller and the feed discs.

The locking bar is as before stated hinged to the case at one side, andat vthe other side latching mechanism is provided, for holding the barin locked position.. The latching mechanism comprises a dependingnotched lug 19 on the free end of the bar, which is adapted to engagewitho in a recess in an enlargement 20 on the side of the case. A latchbar or belt 21 is mounted to slide inthe enlargement toward and from therecess which receives the lug when the locking bar is closed, and thebelt is connected to a plate 22 on the inner face of the case Wall. Apush button 23 is mounted to slide in the venlargement, the inner end ofthe button being connect ed with the plate, whileitsouter end extendsbeyond the enlargement, in position to be enl gaged by the thumb, torelease the latch. The latch is normally spring pressed outwardly, thatis into engaging position, and is released when the button is pushedinwardly. Y

rThe manifolding book or pad is composed of a plurality of superposedstrips of paper, there being 2, 3, 4 or more used, as desired. Thestrips are provided at equally spaced intervals lwith transverse lines24 of partial separation to form a series of sheets or leaves, eachbearing a printed l;

sales form, and all the forms are identical. Near its upper margin, eachsheet or leaf is provided with one or more apertures 25 the numberdepending upon the number of feed discs, and being two in the presentinstance. The apertures occupy a uniform position with relation to theprinted form, and to the line 24 of partial separation. The strips arethen superposed with the apertures 25 in register, after which thestrips are folded zigzag fashion, along the lines of partial separationto form a flat package. It will be evident that the superposed stripsare reversely folded, and that they interengage with each other, so thatcorresponding parts, leaves or sheets of all the strips are in register,or superposed. The folding and nesting of the sheets in this mannerwould cause them to retain their registry position even when they arefed to a registering machine.

The strips are fed by the feeding and registering mechanism abovedescribed, and when the apertures 25 of the lowermost strip come intoregister with the contacting surfaces of the discs and rollers, the feedof the said strip will stop,

and the feed of each strip will stop as its apertures come intoregistering position. The feed discs l are of a circumference such thatone complete rotation of the shaft will feed the strips from one set ofapertures to beyond the next set, that is a distance greater than thelength of the form, and a releasable stop is provided for limiting themovement of the shaft to a complete rotation. The stop indicated at 49is normally held in the path of movement of the crank by a spring 50arranged between the stop and the recess in which it is mounted, and thestop may be depressed to permit the crank to pass, when it is againdesired to feed the strips.

Since the feed discs and roller do not cooperatively engage the stripswhile the apertures are in register with said discs and roller, means isprovided in connection with the discs for initiating the feedingmovement. The said means in the present instance are laterally extendinglugs 51 on the inner faces of the discs, the said lugs being so arrangedthat when the crank is released from the stop 49, and moved in adirection to feed thestrips, the said lugs will come into engagingposition, and will engage the lowermost strip laterally with respect tothe line of apertures, and thus advance the strips, until the strips areagain engaged between the feed discs and the roller. Thus correspondingleaves of the superposed strips are brought into registry position aboveVthe writing tablet or platen 26, which is arranged transversely of thetop of the case, between the feeding and registering mechanism, and theend of the compartment 4 from said mechanism. This tablet in the presentinstance is a plate, which is hinged to a rod 2'7 mounted transverselyof the case, just above the partition 28 which separates the storagecompartment 7 for the record strip from the feed and registeringmechanism compartment 6. Because of the arrangement of the folds, anytendency of the apertures of the corresponding leaves of the strips toget out of register, will be in a direction to advance the apertures inthe bottom sheet. These apertures when they reach the feed roller willinsure the stopping of the lowermost strip, and allow the feed mechanismto engage directly the edge of the next overlying strip, in order thatthe said strip may be pulled into exact registry with the bottom strip.The Same action obtains with the strips in succession from the lowermostto the uppermost.

In order that the record upon the topmost leaf may be repeated on theleaves of the succeeding strips, a plurality of leaves 29 havingtransfer material on their under faces is arranged transversely of thewriting tablet, and the said leaves are stationary. In order that thetransfer leaves may be easily renewed when exhausted, they are in theform of strips, which are wound at one end upon a shaft 01 roller 30arranged in a trough 3l extending longitudinally of the case wall at theopposite side from the feed crank. From the trough, the leaves extendacross the writing tablet to the opposite side, where they are held inany suitable or desired manner. In the present instance three superposedstrips, 32, 33 and 34 are used, the strips being designated from abovedownward, and two transfer leaves 29 are provided, one leaf for each ofthe lower strips. Since the leaves 29 are stationary, there is somefriction between the strips and the leaves, and there may also be atendency to injury of the leaf edges, by the apertures 25. Suchapertures may have roughened edges, or they may engage roughened placesin the edges of the transfer leaves, to cause injury to the same. It isdesirable also that the corresponding leaves of the strips be separatedbefore they reach the transfer leaves, since any sticking of the stripsmight cause injury to the leaves. A certain amount of tension is alsodesirable, to flatten out and smooth the strips, that is to facilitatethe change from folded to unfolded condition.

In order to facilitate movement between the strips and the transferleaves, and to prevent injury to and guard the edge of the leaves, andto positively separate corresponding leaves of the strips, before theyreach the transfer leaves, provide means, in the form of plates 35,arranged between the strips, just before they engage the transferleaves, to space the strips vertically, and to lift and guide them overthe rear edges of the transfer leaves. Each of these plates 35 issecured to a shaft or roller 36 of relatively heavy material, and eachroller has journal pins 37 at its ends. One of the journal pins isadapted to engage a bearing opening 38 in one wall of the case, whilethe other is adapted to engage an open notch 39 in the opposite wall, tothus rotatably support the roller, and to hinge the plate so that it mayoscillate transversely of the plane of the strips. It will be noticedthat one of the plates is slightly in advance of the other, and thisplate at its free edge laps upon the adjacent edge of the writingtablet. The free edge of the other plate laps upon the attached edge ofthe first named plate. A guide roller 40 is provided for the strip 32,and pairs of guide and separating rollers 4l are provided for the strips33 and 34. One member of each pair of rollers 41 is mounted to swingaway from its companion roller, being supported by arms 41a as shownpivoted to the case walls. It will be noticed referring to Fig. 2, thatthe rollers 40 and 4l are spaced to separate the strips prior to theirsuperposition on the writing tablet, while retaining them injuxtaposition, and in proper relation with repsect to each other. Thearrangement is such that whichever strips is uppermost at the momentmust travel somewhat further than the succeeding strip, so that thestrips do not stick in the folds, but come into separated relationreadily. The lowermost strip 34 passes between the writing tablet andthe lowermost plate 35.

The next or intermediate strip 33 .passes vbetween the'plates'35, andtheuppermost strip 32 passes above the uppermost plate 35. Since the stripswhen moving over the plates are moving in the direction of the feed andregistering mechanism, there is some pressure upon the. undersides ofthe rollers 3S, tending tov turn the said rollers in a direction tocause the free 'edges ofthe plates 55 to bear down. upon the succeedingstrips, thus to tension the strips. IIhus each; of the lower strips istensioned by the movement of the succeeding strip.

A spring plate 4.2 is `connected withy the side walls of the case attheside of the pad or: book in compartment Li, to hold the said pad orbook centrally of the compartment, and inwardly extending iianges orledges 43 are provided at the top of the case side walls, upon whichthe. writing tablet rests, when it is in writingv position. The casewalls have inwardly extending ribs or anges 44 between the compartment-s4 and 6, and a suitable cover or margin frame'45 is hinged to the rearwall of the case at 46, for closing down upon the edges of the writing`tablet, and for forming therewith a closure for the. compartment 4.rl'his cover or cover frame is a plate of suiiicient area, having anopening at the writing tablet, through which the major portion of thetablet is visible. This cover also closes the trough 3l which holds thetransfer leaves, and it is eX- tended beyond the adjacent Yend ofthecase I, as indicated at 4?,.to provide a rest for the arm, whenwriting'on the tablet. A sprinor latch 43 is provided for holding thecover frame closed', and it is independent of the locking bar 15. Thecompartment 7 for receiving the record strip has a cover 52, hinged tothe rear side of the case as at 53, and a suitable lock indicated at 54is provided for holding thisV cover closed. It will be noticed that thecover has a flange or extension 55, which is engaged by the locking barwhen it is closed, so that even without the locking 54.-, the cover 52could not be lifted without releasing the locking bar. The pla-tes 35assist in straightening and smoothing the strips'as they are moved intoregistry position.

I have discovers that the feeding of the webs is greatly improved byproviding means to resiliently hold the superposed strips smoothly downupon the tablet preferably on the Vside from which the carbon sheets arefed. This means may be in the form of one or more spring plates 56,which engage the side edges of the strip, throughout substantially theentire length of the tablet, extending from the forward` end of thetablet, toward the feed mechanism at the edge of the opening through thecover 45. In the present instance the plates are supported by the coverframe, being secured to the latter at the end of the plate remote fromthe feeding mechanism as indicated at 57.

The hinge connection or rod 27 of the writing tablet is on the oppositeside of the feeding mechanism from the body of the tablet, the rod beingabove the partition which separates the compartments 6 and 7. Adjacentto the hinge, the tablet is notched as shown at 58, and the feedingdiscs extend through the notches. The lowermost strip 34 of thesuperposed strips is separated at the feeding mechanism from the upperstrips, passing between the tablet and the cover 52. into thecompartment 7. In order to prevent movement of the strip out of thecompartment after it has been entered thereinto, pawl and ratchetmechanism is provided in connection with the feeding mechanism. Aratchet wheel 59 is secured to the shaft 3, and the wheel is engaged bya springV pressed` pawl 60 on the case Wall. The pawl and ratchetprevent reverse movementr or" the feeding mechanism, and in ordertoprevent withdrawal of the strip from the closed compartment manually,I provide pointed spurs or lugs 61 on the writing tablet, at the rod2'7. These lugs or spurs incline slightly upward toward their free ends,and they are so positioned that should there be an attempt to withdrawthe record strip from the closed compartment, the spurs or lugs willengage the strip, and will prevent Withdrawal. If the attempt towithdraw is persisted in, the strip will be torn.

As the record strip passes into the 'closed oompartment between thetablet and the vcover 52, it falls naturally into the reversely foldedcondition, since it isl already creased in such manner that the separateleaves will fall into the reversely folded condition of themselves. Aspring 62 is provided on the cover 52, and the spring rests upon the pado folded leaves in the compartment. The spring is hinged to a lug 63depending from the cover as shown, so that it may rise as the padincreases in thickness.

Since certain changes may be made inv the above construction anddifferent embodiments of the invention could be made without departingfrom the scope thereof, it is intended rthat all matter contained in theabove description or shown in the accompanying ldrawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a machine of the class described, incombination, means to simultaneously feed a plurality ofsuperposedstrips of record leaves, stationary transfer leaves betweenthe strips, and a common means to guide each strip to the upper face ofthe adjacent leaf and to tension a lower strip, controlled by themovement of the first named strip.

2. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a case having aholding and a receiving compartment for pads `or books of superposedstrips of reversely folded record leaves, feeding and registering meansbetween the compartments for feeding the strips, means beyond thefeeding mechanism for separating the lower strip from the upper anddeflecting it into the receiving compartment, and means to engage thestrip to prevent withdrawal of the strip from the corn- Y engage thestrip and hold the same when it is Withdrawn.

4. In a machine cf the class described, in combination, a case having aholding and a receiving compartment for pads or books of superposedstrips of reversely folded record leaves, feeding and registering meansbetween the compartments for feeding the strips, a writing tabletbetween the feeding means and the holding compartment over which thestrips are fed into registry, means to resiliently engage the side edgesof the strips as they move over the tablet to smooth and hold the stripsto the tablet, means beyond he feeding mechanism for separating thelower strip from the upper and deflecting it into the receivingcompartment, and means engaging the strip to prevent its withdrawal fromthe compartment.

5. A device of the character described cornprising in combination, meansfor supporting a strip supply, a tablet, means for feeding a pluralityof strips from said supply over said tablet, means to support a supplyof transfer material to be interposed between said strips and to extendlaterally on each side thereof, a cover plate adapted to extend oversaid tablet, having an opening to expose said strips, and ribs upon theunder face of said cover plate adjacent the edges of said openingadapted to bear upon the transfer `material.

6. A device of the character described comprising in combination, meansfor supporting a strip supply, a tablet, means for feeding a pluralityof strips from said supply over said tablet, means to support a supplyof transfer material to be interposed between said strips and to extendlaterally on each side thereof, a cover plate adapted to extend oversaid tablet, having an opening to expose said strips, means formaintaining separation of said strips as they pass onto the tabletcomprising a pivoted guide plate separating each pair of webs, and aspring finger upon the under side of the cover plate adapted to exertpressure on said guide plate.

'7. A manifolder comprising a platen; means for advancing a plurality ofsuperposed fabric strips along said platen; guides at one end oi' theplaten over which the fabric strips are led to the platen; separatorscarried by the guides and located between adjacent fabric strips andextending onto the platen; and a margin frame which when closed coactswith the separators to exert pressure on the fabric strips for effectingeven movements of the fabric strips over the platen.

8. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a writingtablet, means to feed a plurality of superpose-d webs longitudinallyover said tablet, means at one side of the machine for supplying atransfer strip for movement transversely of said tablet into transferposition between the webs cn the tablet, and an elongated yielding guidepositioned near one longitudinal edge of said tablet proximate to saidtransfer strip supply and having i'ts major dimension extendinglongitudinally of said tablet and transversely of said transfer stripnear the point where the latter passes to the tablet and yiel-dinglypressing upon said strip to smooth it in its movement to the tablet.

9. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a Writingtablet, means to feed a plurality of superposed Webs longitudinally oversaid tablet, means at one side of the machine for supplying a transferstrip for movement transversely of said tablet into transfer positionbetween the webs on the tablet, and an elongatedl yielding guidepositioned adjacent to each longitudinal edgeof said tablet, each saidyielding guide having its major dimension extending longitudinally ofsaid tablet and pressing upon opposite longitudinal margins of said websto smooth them upon the tablet, a cover member having an openingexposing said tablet and said yielding guides being carried by saidcover and extending along the margins of its opening.

l0. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a writingtablet, means to feed a plurality of superposed webs longitudinally oversaid tablet, means at one side of the machine for supplying a transferstrip for movement transversely of said tablet into transfer positionbetween the webs on the tablet, and an elongated yielding guidepositioned adjacent to each longitudinal edge of sai-d tablet, each saidyielding guide having its major dimension extending 1ongitudinally ofsaid tablet and pressing upon opposite longitudinal margins of said websto smooth them upon the tablet, one of said yielding guides extendingtransversely of said transfer strip near the point Where the latterpasses to the tablet and yieldingly pressing upon said strip to smoothit in its movement to the tablet.

l1, An autographic register including, in combination, means for feedinga plurality of superposed record strips into inscription receivingposition with reference to a tablet, and means for maintaining aseparate tension on each strip as said strips are fed forwardly by saidfeeding means into inscriptionv receiving position, said last mentionedmeans including strip tensioning members overlapping the strips andoperatively interconnected so that pressure on one of said tensioningmembers is transmitted to another to equalize strip tension and a biasedmember cooperating with said tensioning members.

WILLIAM J WISWALL.

